


Divination at Work

by FugitiveArchivist



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, M/M, Marauders' Era
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-05
Updated: 2016-02-05
Packaged: 2018-05-18 09:32:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,556
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5923237
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FugitiveArchivist/pseuds/FugitiveArchivist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A divination lesson tips James off to watch over for something but he's to blind to see it until it slaps him in the face.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Divination at Work

**Author's Note:**

> Great thanks to Lassenia, the archivist over at [Wolf and Hound](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Wolf_and_Hound), for saving this one and many others by importing the works there to AO3. I had lost many of these files and was very happy when they popped up on my AO3 account.

~James' POV~

I absolutely hate divination. Professor Bugiardo keeps telling Remus that he has the grim and predicting that I'm going to be a Quidditch burnout. Can you imagine that? I've only been playing for three years but me a burnout? Never! Steven Hensen says I'm one of the best chasers we've had in years. And then there's that girl that follows Bugiardo about like every word he says is gospel, Sybil something or other. Anyway, as I said, I hate divination. I should never have let Sirius talk me into taking it with him.

It's a beautiful day, not too hot but warm and the air is crisp and clean and we're headed for the top of the north tower for a room that's hot as hell itself and full of smoke. Remus and Sirius are both missing at the moment, probably getting into a bit of Slytherin torture. They both kept casting glance in that direction earlier anyway.

Whatever the reason I ended up climbing the latter alone, wishing for the millionth time that I'd chosen to take muggle studies with Peter instead. I sit down at our normal table and wait to see who will choose to be our fourth today.

After a couple of minutes Sally Anne Jacobson a pretty blonde Ravenclaw sits in the armchair next to me. About two minutes before class is due to start Remus and Sirius turn up, slightly flushed and out of breath. I give Sirius a questioning glance. "Lost track of time, had to run to get here."

"Divide into pairs please," Professor Bugiardo's voice drifts over from somewhere near the fireplace. "One person from each pair come up and get a deck of cards."

As usual Sirius and Remus pair up leaving me to today's lovely lady. "Allow me Sally," I offer getting up. Sirius follows me. "So, who got it? Snape?" I ask him as we join the line.

"Hmm? Oh, no, we weren't pranking Snape. We charmed the suits of armor on the fifth floor to sing 'Anarchy in the UK.'"

After everyone has a deck of cards Professor Bugiardo speaks up again. "We will be staring with a simple three card past-present-future set up. Each of you will shuffle the cards, allow your partner to cut the deck, lay out the cards and interpret them using pages 218-224 of Sign Says: A guide to simple divination."

"Ladies first," I smile, handing Sally the cards.

She shuffles the cards, I cut the deck and she's lays them out. "Seven of swords, seven of cups, and the nine of wands," She calls cheerfully. She reads from her textbook and then pronounces, "In the past you've had to win over friends and loved ones." I nod, I had to fight to convince Lily that I'm not just a dumb jock. "In the present you are making choices that effect your long term goals, it's important to trust your instincts." I consider this and nod again. "In the future you are in for quite a shock, you are about to discover an important truth about a loved one."

As Sirius actually discusses his cards they've only just reached his third card as I shuffle. "And in the future you have the three of cups. It signifies a child and healing and rebirth."

Sirius seems offended, "A child? Me? Are you sure you're reading that right Moony?"

"Yes Padfoot I am. It's not necessarily your child. It could even mean you're going to play with Sandy next summer."

"Besides Sirius, it's a vague 'future' is it that impossible?" I ask curiously as Sally cuts the deck.

He ignores me. Remus whispers something mostly in Gaelic. Sirius considers for a moment before answering, "Not yet."

I lay out her cards and read her the senseless nonsense in the book as she giggles. Just as I start to think Sirius might finish one of Remus' readings without Bugiardo's interference he pops up.

"You have the grim once again boy. It is in your future, very near to you, but this is in the distant future..."

"That's good to know," Remus comments trying to hide his dislike.

Bugiardo gives him a malicious nod and disappears to where Sybil is predicting someone's horrid death.

Who ever the deceased is seems to object. To cool the situation he lets us leave early. "I'm off to find the lovely Ms. Evans. You gentlemen coming to the common room?"

"Not me, I feel like getting a bite to eat, I'll be in the kitchens," Remus tells me quickly.

"I think I'll go with him James, see you later," Sirius calls as they head downstairs.

~ **~**

They've been gone an hour and Lily just abandoned me for her Charms homework. So I head upstairs in search of the map. They're in the astronomy tower, a long way from the kitchens. I set off to find them. After no more than ten minutes I reach the door to the top room of the tower and notice the odd silence that only comes from a spell.

Now I'm curious. I unlock the door and open it, not calling out as I want to know what they're up to. The sight that meets my eyes simply cannot be real. Well the sights really. Because at first I just see a pile of clothes, and recognize them as Remus' and Sirius'. Then hanging from one of the torch brackets is someone's knickers. I have no idea what makes me continue to look after I see that but I do. In the center of the room, wrapped in a blanket, barely, Remus and Sirius are snogging each other senseless and I have the distinct impression that's not all that's going to happen. Too shocked to speak I shut the door and return to the common room to wait for them to come back fully dressed.

After an hour of waiting they finally turn up, looking as if nothing happened. They come over to me. "Hey James," Sirius offers with a light smile.

"Hi. Can I talk to you guys up in the dorm, alone?" I sound calm enough.

"Sure," a confused looking Remus says starting toward the stairs.

"What's up Prongs? Problems with Lily?" Sirius asks as he sits on his bed.

"No, it's not Lily." I sit down on my own bed. "I saw you two. A hour ago in the astronomy tower."

Remus' eyes go wide with shock, "What?!"

A blush steals over Sirius' features but he stays calm, "James, we can explain."

"So what happened? Did you two just suddenly decide to shag each other's brains out?"

Remus looks at me as if I'd just said Snape should model skimpy swim wear, "Suddenly?"

"As in all of a sudden Remus," I say rather annoyed.

Sirius laughs, "No James, we most decidedly did not just suddenly decide to shag each other's brains out."

"Well then what were you doing?"

Remus blushes scarlet and whispers in Gaelic again before dropping face first onto Sirius' bed. Sirius suddenly looks serious, "We were shagging but there was nothing sudden about it."

"What the hell does that mean?"

Remus lifts his head, "You are not this daft James, think about it."

Sirius laughs and stays quiet apparently giving me time to think about it. Unfortunately I just found my best friends shagging so my brain’s not working at the moment.

Sirius sighs when he realizes I'm not getting it. "I'm just going to tell him," he informs Remus who nods. He turns back to me, "We've been together for almost a year you idiot."

Remus moves so his head is resting on Sirius' leg, "Didn't you notice that we kept running off together? Slipping into Gaelic more and more as time went on?"

"Earth to Potter," Sirius jokes waving a hand in front of my face.

"A year? And you didn't tell me? Neither of you even told me you were gay. I thought you both trusted me." I'm not sure where the words are coming from as I certainly can't think straight enough to be talking. 

"Of course we trust you James, and we have been meaning to tell you," Remus assures me.

"I just wanted to wait for the right time to do it," Sirius adds quickly.

"After a year, I'm touched by your trust in me," I tell them sarcastically.

"Damnit James do you know how nerve wrecking it is to know that people are probably going to turn their backs on you when you tell them you're in love because it's with the 'wrong' person?" Sirius growls at me before throwing a pillow at me.

I stare at him, wide eyed in shock once again, "In love?"

"What did you think James, that we'd be stupid enough to risk our friendship over sex?" Sirius asks me like I'm two.

"It is James after all Sirius, and it seems we've been over estimating his intelligence for a long time," Remus tells him chuckling.

"Hey!" I manage. "I have no clue what I thought, or what I think now. My brain hasn't been working for more than an hour. I think I need to go for a walk. Alone."

~~

I slowly make my way to the pitch having retrieved my cleansweep and the quaffle from the broom shed. A few goals should clear my head. After the first goal I let myself think about everything. They're my best friends, my brothers. They're also in love, with each other. Do they shag while Peter and I are there? Do they check out other guys? Do they check **ME** out? Pull yourself together James, we're here to think about what we think of them being in love remember? Focus! Well forget thinking, how do I feel about it? Uncomfortable as hell. They could have told me, what did it hurt to tell me damnit? So they were afraid I'd turn my back on them, wasn't that more of a danger letting me find out on my own? I throw the quaffle again and miss by ten feet, easy. Damnit now they're screwing up my Quidditch game! 

"Nice one Potter! You keep playing like that and we might as well give the slytherins the cup," Hensen calls from the pitch.

"Stuff it Steven!" I shout down at him.

"Oh, it's like that is it?" He asks mounting his broom. "What happened Jamie?"

"I don't want to talk about it Steven and how many times do I have to tell you my name is James, not Jamie?"

He gives me an irritated sigh, "Well Jamie, if I have to guess what it is you won't touch that quaffle for a week. So talk to me or walk away."

"It's not mine to tell," I try just to get him off my case.

"So you finally figured it out? Took you long enough." Steven says laughing at me.

"They told you?" I ask dumbfounded. "They didn't tell me but they told you?!"

He laughs at me again, "No Jamie, I'm just not blind. How you could not have known was beyond me, it was so bloody obvious. They're always together, popping up all flushed. And the looks they give each other across the common room..."

"And that doesn't make you uncomfortable?" I ask ignoring that I've been called blind, again.

"Why would it Potter? Hell I think it's kind of cute," he comments in an offhand tone.

"So you're gay too?" It's the natural assumption.

"No Potter, as a matter of fact I'm not. Why would being accepting of them make me gay exactly?"

"I-I don't know," I admit slowly.

"Look Jamie, they're your best friends right?"

"Right."

"You want them to be happy right?"

"Right."

"And neither one of them has ever so much as touched you in a way that made you uncomfortable right?"

"Right."

"So what's the problem?"

"I'm not sure really. I guess I'm just hurt that they didn't tell me. I mean I told them everything about me and Lily..."

"And did you ever once worry that they weren't going to accept you dating a girl James?"

"Of course not, why would I?"

"You wouldn't but that's what makes it different James. They thought you'd freak out and I'll bet from what I saw earlier that's exactly what you were doing."

"I was," I admit softly. "I think I need to go apologize to them Steven, see you later."

I didn't run back to the tower, I even stopped to say hello to Lily before heading back upstairs. When I reach the dorm Sirius' curtains are closed. I clear my throat loudly. Sirius slips out of the bed, true to his nickname. He wipes tears from his eyes. I give him a concerned expression, "You were crying?"

His eyes are downcast, "We both were, Remus is asleep."

"Why?" I asked confused again.

"You're like a brother to us James, you turning your back on us really hurt."

"I didn't turn my back on you. Not like you mean anyway. I had to clear my head. Even you've got to see that was a lot to handle. I went from wondering why you don't notice that the cute girl across from us is making eyes at you to an eyeful of you two on the verge of shagging in under twelve hours of course I need a little time to process the situation."

"Are you saying you're okay with this James?" He asks me warily.

"Do me a favor and stay out of the bathrooms when I'm showering but yeah, I think I am."

"Gaol?" Remus' voice comes from the bed, bewildered.

"James is back céadsearc, and it sounds like everything is all right."

Remus appears on the edge of the bed blinking profusely, "What do you mean everything seems all right?"

"James is no longer on the warpath," Sirius tries softly, moving overto him. He smiles and gently runs a hand through Remus' hair, "You weren't out that long sweetheart, you shouldn't be this disoriented."

"I woke up and you weren't there. I thought I was having a bad dream." He pulls Sirius down to sit on the bed beside him and turns wary eyes on me. "You aren't angry?"

"I was never angry Moony. I just... freaked out a little. I mean I had absolutely no clue until I saw way too much this afternoon. I had no idea what to think and you have to admit it's a lot to think about. I'm sorry I wasn't exactly diplomatic earlier. I didn't mean to hurt you, either of you, I just freaked out a little. I understand now that all that really matters is you guys are happy."

Remus smiles at me, the same reserved smile he gives me every time I do something for him without being asked, like leaving him a copy of my notes the day after a full moon, "Thank you James, I can't tell you how much it means to hear you say that."

Sirius gets up, a hand slowly drifting up Remus' arm as he does as if making sure he's there, and hugs me tightly, "Still brothers?"

I'm a little uncomfortable to have him hug me all of a sudden but I smile just the same, "Always guys, nothing will change that."

~~~


End file.
